Sending a parcel in the UK? Avoid using Parcel2go!

damaged delivery don't use Hermes

Sending any parcel through the post these days seems to be getting more and more like a lottery. With margins cut to their lowest and delivery drivers under pressure to deliver large numbers of parcels in the shortest time frame possible it is inevitable that standards will drop…as so it seems will many of our precious parcels.

So we come to my recent experiences with and their attitude to customer service when something goes wrong. I was having a hard time getting any sense out of their online chatbot I decided to message them on Twitter.

Their twitter team hide behind their cosy anonymity and simply throw the old “terms & conditions” at you as though this absolves them from any sort of responsibility. It seems they are happy to see the customer lose money through the negligence of the couriers they act for.

Parcel2Go think that bad customer service and their complete lack of accountability is something they can shrug off. The “apparent” handful of customers kicking up a fuss will go away if we ignore them long enough.

What they fail to grasp is the snowball effect. Unlike many who they have no doubt ripped off in the past, this particular customer is not going to go quietly into the night as I am sure others will not when they realise they are not alone and have a platform from which to voice their experiences with

At the moment I am looking at a loss of £165.00. because Hermes Home Delivery whom Parcel2Go sell services for managed to damage what you and I would consider an undamagable parcel. Parcel2go claim that they are not responsible because I did not take out insurance. I claim they are because the courier should have insurance already. Why is it the customer is made to be the scapegoat? Did I drop and damage my parcel? No, so why am I suddenly responsible for it’s replacement? Why is all the burden of responsibility put on the shoulders of the customer?

As a Musician and someone who regularly buys used instruments online and sells the odd one and two also, I need to be absolutely sure that when I send something it is going to arrive at the buyers home in one piece. It should not be a lottery. EVERY courier should be required to handle our goods with care. This is clearly not happening in many cases.

What IS happening is that courier firms do have insurance. They need to have otherwise they would go out of business very quickly. It is referred to as Goods In Transit or Freight Liability insurance and normally covers each driver automatically for up to £50,000


So all this hogwash about Parcel2go customers needing to buy insurance is just that. It’s a red herring and an easy path to extra profit for the company.

Which brings me back nicely to who is going to pay for my damaged goods? Do Hermes drivers have Goods In Transit insurance? If not are the public aware of this? Why would we trust our goods to Hermes if their drivers are not covered to carry such goods?

I will be asking Hermes about their drivers Goods In Transit insurance and letting you all know if they do not have it. Perhaps then you can make an informed decision about which courier you use to transport your precious cargo….oh and forget the middle men such as Parcel2go. They will happily take your money and then just get in the way when something goes wrong.

You can follow the discussion over at